Con Dao Islands guide: prison history, turtles, beaches and the ferry

Fly or take the ferry: decide first

Vietnam Tourism describes daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City to the island's small airport, which is the quickest way in. The runway is short, and VnExpress reported in 2025 that only small aircraft can use it; since Bamboo Airways withdrew, travellers from the north have had to change at Tan Son Nhat or Can Tho onto flights by Vietnam Airlines or its subsidiary VASCO. The planes are small, so book the flight before anything else, and keep the day after an island trip free in case of weather delays.

By sea there are three gateways. On 6 June 2026 VnExpress reported that a fast ferry run by Thanh Thanh Phat had resumed from Saigon port in central Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Dam port on Con Dao, taking about 5 hours 15 minutes in good weather, with passengers asked to arrive 45 minutes early; the schedule it published was outbound on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 6:30, with fares of 990,000 to 1,325,000 dong depending on the seat. From Vung Tau, the large fast ferry Thang Long sails from Cau Da port on a route of about 180 kilometres, and a third route runs from Tran De on the Mekong Delta coast, now part of Can Tho city.

Treat any ferry schedule as provisional. VnExpress reported on 1 August 2026 that the Thang Long turned back to Vung Tau after an engine failure, and that some passengers had to cancel onward flights. Check the operator's current timetable when you book, and do not plan a ferry for the day of an international flight.

Con Son town and the prison sites

Con Son town is small and flat, and Vietnam Tourism recommends it on foot or by bicycle, with old trees, colonial buildings and the prison museum and Van Son Pagoda within cycling distance. The prison system, which the French began and the Americans later used, operated for 113 years; around 20,000 prisoners died there, among them Vo Thi Sau, executed at the age of 19. The government ranked the Con Dao prison a special national relic in 2012.

Start with the Con Dao Museum for background, as Vietnam Tourism suggests, then visit the prison compounds themselves: Phu Hai Prison and the Tiger Cages, the most notorious of the detention blocks. A provincial restoration approved in 2023 covered the Tiger Cages, the Chua Dao Palace and Ma Thien Lanh Bridge, which hundreds of prisoners built under the French.

Hang Duong Cemetery, near the prison, holds the graves of prisoners who died on the island, many unmarked, including those of Vo Thi Sau, Le Hong Phong and Nguyen An Ninh. Many Vietnamese come specifically to pay their respects here. Dress as you would for a temple, keep your voice down, and ask before photographing people at the graves.

Hiking the national park

Con Dao National Park, established in 1993, covers 19,998 hectares across the archipelago: just under 6,000 hectares of forest and 14,000 hectares of protected sea, with green and hawksbill turtles, dolphins and dugongs in its waters, according to the park. Vietnam Tourism says hikers can arrange a guide through the park office or go alone with a park map on the easier trails.

The paved path from the park entrance to Ong Dung, a stony beach where you can snorkel close to shore, is the easy introduction, with information boards on the forest along the way, and other trails branch off from the beach. The longer walk to Dam Tre Bay in the north of Con Son, about 3 kilometres from the airport, combines a trek with a boat ride to a deep bay of mangroves, seagrass and coral; the park runs it as a guided outing of six to eight hours and says a park guide is required.

Vietnam Tourism warns that some trails, including the route to Thanh Gia, the island's highest point, are poorly marked, and recommends a guide. Carry plenty of water, start early, and tell your hotel where you are going. The park's rules prohibit collecting plants, animals or specimens, disturbing wildlife and lighting fires.

Sea turtles on Bay Canh and the outer islands

Con Dao is the largest sea-turtle nesting area in Vietnam, and the national park says it accounts for about 90 per cent of the green turtles that nest in the country. VnExpress, citing the park, reported in August 2026 that between April and September hundreds of females come ashore to nest, that Bay Canh island has the busiest of the archipelago's 14 nesting beaches, with an average of 10 to 20 turtles a night, and that 600 to 900 females return each season.

Watching is strictly organised. Under park rules reported by VnExpress in August 2025, nesting can be watched from 18:00 to 06:00 and hatchling releases take place between 5:30 and 7:30, on a list of permitted islands including Bay Canh, Hon Cau and Hon Tai; each nesting site takes no more than 50 visitors a night, in groups of about ten, and bookings are handled by the park's Department of Ecotourism and Environmental Education.

When we checked on 2026-10-03, the park's own site listed its overnight turtle-watching trip to Bay Canh (code CDP 009) at between 2,150,000 and 5,100,000 dong and its half-day hatchling release (CDP 008) at between 680,000 and 2,200,000 dong, departing from the park office at 36 Ton Duc Thang Street; its price notes say the entrance fee is charged separately. Book with the park directly, sit in the designated areas, keep quiet and follow the rangers' instructions on lights and photography.

Beaches, boats and the coastal road

For a beach day, Vietnam Tourism points to Dam Trau, backed by trees with easy access to gentle water, and Dat Doc, where the Six Senses resort has its bay. Lo Voi Bay, close to town, is best at morning low tide, when fishermen work from basket boats along the shore.

The best snorkelling and diving are offshore. Boat trips go to the reefs around Hon Tai, Bay Canh and Hon Cau, where Vietnam Tourism lists rays, barracuda, turtles, moray eels and clownfish. Check whether the boat operator's trip includes the park fee, and choose one that does not let passengers stand on coral.

The main road runs along the coast between the north and south of Con Son, and riding it is a local pastime. Chim Chim Cape is a favourite spot to watch the sunset. Since late December 2025, an electric public bus, route 173, has linked the airport with Con Dao Market in about 30 minutes, running daily from 5:00 to 19:00; for the beaches and trailheads you will still want a bicycle, a scooter or a taxi.

A three-day plan

This is an editorial suggestion, not a timetable. Boat trips and turtle nights depend on the weather and on the park's places.

• Day 1 — Arrival and history: fly in, check into Con Son town, visit the Con Dao Museum and Phu Hai Prison, then Hang Duong Cemetery in the late afternoon.
• Day 2 — Forest or reef: the guided Dam Tre Bay trek or a boat trip to the outer-island reefs; in the nesting season, continue to Bay Canh for the night.
• Day 3 — Slow day: the hatchling release at dawn if you stayed on Bay Canh, then the Ong Dung trail, a swim at Dam Trau and sunset at Chim Chim Cape.
• Day 4 (recommended): a buffer for cancelled boats or flights, or the Tiger Cages and Van Son Pagoda by bicycle.